NEW YORK – On her new single, Rachel Platten invites you to dance on the shattered glass ceiling.

Broken Glass is the latest female empowerment anthem from the pop singer-songwriter, who cracked the top 10 of radio charts worldwide in 2015 with her ubiquitous Fight Song, which has soundtracked countless commercials and movie trailers, as well as Hillary Clinton campaign events in the run-up to last year’s election.

The shimmering dance track is taken from Platten’s still-untitled fourth album, which she previewed for roughly a dozen fans at her label offices Tuesday night. The new music shows off more adventurous sides of the New York native, who brings a dark, seductive edge to album cuts Collide and Keep Up, and channels Tove Lo on the infectious bop Shivers, which she calls the most fun song she's ever written. Grace, a dramatic ballad about feeling vulnerable, left some fans teary-eyed, while the affirmative Good Life lifted spirits on the wings of wonky piano and thundering bass.

Platten, 36, started writing the album late last year and was inspired by the boundary-pushing work of fellow pop artists Robyn, Kiiara, Lapsley and MØ. She sat down with USA TODAY after the event to chat about her next era and life after Fight Song.

The new songs sound bigger than anything we’ve ever from you before. What was your mindset going into this next album?

I wanted to show anyone that was listening that I am here to stay. I write all my songs, I write all my lyrics, so I was kind of like, “Let me show you what I can do now that you’re paying attention.” A lot of people knew me from Fight Song, but they didn’t necessarily know my name. I wanted to show the world, “I have so much more than one song that I’m incredibly proud of, but that’s one in a line of a career’s worth of songs that I want to release.”

You’ve described Broken Glass as a “rallying cry for women.” What inspired it?

It was a big year for women. There were a lot of moments when we all stood up for each other and that’s rare. We’re in this world where we’re often encouraged to compete with one another. This year felt exciting, but it also felt devastating. There were little girls holding posters that they drew in crayon at the Women’s March, and I saw that and it broke my heart. I felt like little girls and women needed an anthem, and some kind of message of hope to know that even if we feel suffocated by these limitations we think we have, they’re not true.

Fight Song became an unofficial anthem for Hillary Clinton’s campaign last year. Did it inspire you to become more politically or socially conscious on this new record?

Politically conscious, no, because I want to be a uniter. There are enough things dividing us, and politics and religion are things that divide us. That’s never my goal. I’m the kind of person that’s like, “Everyone’s invited to my party.”

But socially conscious, absolutely. I think it’s funny because Broken Glass is a song for women, but women’s rights have become political. I don’t know how that happens – that’s crazy. But there’s a lot to be socially conscious about right now. I think all of us are being forced to wake up and look around us and say, “I need to stick up not for just me, but my neighbor and care about things that aren’t just in my Instagram feed right now.”

Are there any other songs on the album that may have been inspired by the election or Women’s March?

Broken Glass was my response. The rest of the record has nothing to do with it, truthfully. It’s just my own personal struggles with fear and insecurities and anxiety, but also elation and being excited that I’m a musician. The songs are deeply honest, emotionally, and it is bigger, sonically. It feels like something maybe that’s more mainstream, but funny enough, the messages are way more raw.

You’ve talked about how you tried to write hits for so long, but it wasn’t until you were honest about your life that you were able to write Fight Song. Were you able to maintain that same approach with this new album or were there pressures to follow it up?

I don’t feel any pressure about a follow-up – I didn’t feel it from the day I started. I don’t know why; I probably should have. People ask me, “Do you feel nervous?” And I’m like, “No, but why do you keep asking me that?” I only felt pressure to be emotionally honest. If I’m not (honest), then the song doesn’t matter. Even if it sounds like a hit, it won’t resonate with anyone.

Looking back, what was the most challenging part of having your first single on a major label take off as quickly as it did?

It’s funny, because when I was in the experience, I wasn’t quite able to grasp what was happening. I kept looking around me and wondering why I wasn’t understanding or being more grateful. It was happening so quickly after so many years, but I was sad. I was tired. I was overwhelmed. I was traveling all over the country, and I wasn’t sleeping. It was also a really confusing thing, because all these dreams came true, and I still had all this insecurity and fear and stuff that I thought would go away once I reached the top of the mountain, but nothing did. So in a way, it was an unbelievable mirror that got to show me it’s really not about the destination – it’s about the journey and being OK with ups and downs.

Platten says she is '90%' finished with her forthcoming album and has one song left to record.(Photo: Kevin Winter, Getty Images)

When I look back on it, I wish I had just been a little less hard on myself and soaked it in a little bit more, and understood just how beautiful what was happening was.

Is there any song that you didn’t play for fans tonight that you’re most excited for them to hear?

It’s not done yet, but it might be my favorite on the album. It’s a song that I think will surprise people in the production – it’s kind of minimalist. I can’t say what it’s called, but it’s about a friend of mine. The way she looks at herself is so messed up, because she’s such a beautiful human and she doubts herself and beats herself up. But I can see from the outside, as one of my best friends, how incredible she is. The song is saying, “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.” It’s kind of a song for myself, too, and all of us.